A  N    A  N  SWBK 


§s5w  of  P«^> 
APR  23  1932 


V 


^ 


TO     T  J-I  E     LiUESTIOX 


WHO  ARE  THE  PLYMOUTH  BRETHREN?" 


BY 


MRS.  H.  GRATTAN   GUINNESS 

1 


FaNrHvi^-GfctXlNN£  S3 


PHILADELPHIA  \ 

J.   B.  LIPPINCOTT   &   CO. 
L861. 


. . 


AN  ANSAVKR  TO  THE  QUESTION, 


WHO  ARE   THE  PLYMOUTH   BRETHREN?" 


Some  degree  of  interest  having  been  excited  in 
this  country,  as  to  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the 
"Plymouth  Brethren,"  a  slight  sketch  of  their  ori- 
gin, rise,  and  progress,  as  well  as  of  their  present 
condition  and  principles,  may  not  be  unwelcome  to 
those  who  wish  to  form  a  fair  estimate  of  this  body. 
As  one  who  has  for  many  years  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  them,  both  in  England  and  Ireland, 
who  has  a  personal  acquaintance  with,  and  high  re- 
gard for,  many  of  their  leaders,  and  who  approves 
most  of  their  distinctive  views,  the  writer  may  be 
able  to  give  a  clearer  account  of  the  peculiari- 
ties of  these  "Brethren,"  than  any  that  has  yet 
appeared  in  the  public  papers.  It  will  be  seen  that 
though  they  differ  materially  in  practice  from  many 
of  their  fellow  Christians,  and  hold  some  views  as  to 
secondary  truths,  at  variance  with  those  commonly 
received,  yet  that  on  the  fundamental  truths  of  the 

(3) 


4  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

gospel  they  are  one  with  all  evangelical  denomina- 
tions. Strange  and  exaggerated  statements  have 
been  made  with  regard  to  them,  and  an  erroneous 
impression  seems  to  prevail,  that  their  views  are 
sadly  heterodox,  and  their  practices  somewhat  fan- 
atical. Were  both  better  known,  Christians  would 
regard  them  differently,  and  though  they  might  not 
agree  with  their  views,  would  be  constrained  to 
award  to  them  the  Christian  regard  due  to  men 
who  are  devoted  servants  of  God,  diligent  students 
of  Scripture,  who  have,  many  of  them,  suffered 
much  for  conscience'  sake,  and  who  have  made  no 
small  sacrifices  to  bear  what  they  deem  faithful 
testimony  to  the  truth. 

About  thirty  years  ago,  a  movement  took  place 
in  various  parts  of  England  and  Ireland,  produced 
it  can  hardly  be  questioned  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
in  the  direction  of  greater  simplicity  and  godliness 
of  life,  greater  spirituality  of  worship,  and  a  higher 
degree  of  personal  consecration  to  Christ.  The 
movement  would  in  this  country  have  been  called  a 
revival,  for  it  commenced  among  Christians,  but  in 
its  progress  affected  the  unconverted,  numbers  of 
whom  were  brought  to  God  by  means  of  it;  it  was 
simply  a  repetition  of  the  struggle  after  "the  higher 
Christian  life,"  which  lias  at  different  times  led  to 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  0 

attempts  at  reformation,  attempts  which,  alas !  have 
often  degenerated  into  mysticism  on  the  one  hand, 
or  fanaticism  on  the  other.  From  both  these  ex- 
tremes the  movement  alluded  to  was  happily  pre- 
served, by  the  safe  direction  it  took  from  the  first. 
A  diligent  and  prayerful  study  of  the  word  of  God 
characterized  it,  and  the  desire  to  know  and  do  the 
will  of  God  more  perfectly,  led  many  to  throw  aside 
educational  prejudices,  and  to  come  in  a  docile  spirit 
to  the  Scriptures,  by  them  both  to  form  their  opin- 
ions and  regulate  their  practices.  These  men  were 
not  exclusively  scholars  and  theologians,  nor  exclu- 
sively the  reverse ;  they  were  simply  earnest  Chris- 
tians of  various  classes  and  denominations :  nor  was 
the  movement  limited  to  any  one  locality,  for  simul- 
taneously, in  different  places  and  quite  unknown  to 
each  other,  little  bands  of  such  men  were  drawn  to- 
gether for  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  gradually 
led  more  or  less  to  the  same  conclusions.  In  Eng- 
land, Scotland,  and  Ireland,  as  well  as  on  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe,  individuals  and  groups  of  individ- 
uals assumed  a  new  and  previously  untried  position, 
and  then  found,  to  their  surprise,  that  other  Chris- 
tians elsewhere  had,  from  conscientious  conviction, 
done  the  same.  This  naturally  drew  them  together, 
and  they  soon  came  to  be  regarded  as  one  body;  but 

1* 


b  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  i 

such  "was  the  origin  of  this  body,  that  it  could  not 
fairly  be  said  to  be  founded  by  any  one  individual, 
though  in  some  parts  of  the  continent  of  Europe 
especially  an  individual's  name  has  since  been  at- 
tached to  it,  owing  to  his  zealous  and  successful 
labors  in  preaching  the  gospel  and  teaching  the 
truth  of  God  in  those  localities.  About  this  time 
a  gathering  vras  convened,  in  a  noble  mansion  in 
Ireland,  by  one  whose  name  will  long  be  remem- 
bered, and  lovingly  cherished  by  many  a  heart;  an 
"  elect  lady"  indeed,  who,  though  possessing  both 
rank,  wealth,  talents,  and  influence  in  the  world, 
counted  all  loss  for  Christ,  identified  herself  with 
his  people,  and  set  her  affections  on  things  above. 
Those  who  have  read  her  life  and  letters,  need  no 
further  assurance  of  the  deep-toned  piety,  sweet 
spirituality,  and  heavenly-mindedness  which  char- 
acterized the  late  Lady  Powerscourt.  Under  her 
roof  assembled  a  band  of  earnest  Christian  men,  to 
read,  study,  and  confer  over  the  word  of  truth: 
light  from  above  was  sought  and  obtained,  and,  what 
was  far  better,  "great  grace  was  upon  them  all." 
Many  of  the  number  reached  conclusions  which  led 
to  sacrifices  that  were  hard  to  the  natural  mind,  but 
such  sacrifices  were  cheerfully  and  promptly  made, 
and  according  to  the  promise  "he  that  will  do  His 


WHO    A  BE    THE    BB  ET 1 1 B  B  N  1  7 

will,  shall  know  of  the  doctrine ;"  convictions  thus 
conscientiously  acted  out,  led  to  further  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  A  clear  and  definite  perception  and 
presentation  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
gospel,  especially  of  a  finished  redemption,  as  the 
sufficient  ground  of  assurance  of  faith,  characterized 
the  subsequent  preaching  of  these  men.  In  their 
various  pulpits  many  of  them  spoke  with  a  power 
and  fervor  which  astonished  their  hearers;  while 
others  by  the  wayside,  on  the  sea-shore,  proclaimed 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  through  Christ.  Their 
doctrine  was  Calvinistic,  and  their  preaching  simple 
and  expository  in  its  style;  many  sinners  were  con- 
verted and  many  Christians  roused  to  greater  de- 
votedness  and  holiness  of  life.  As  yet  no  name 
was  assumed,  and  no  separate  position  taken.  Many 
of  these  men  still  remained  connected  with  different 
religious  bodies,  and  though  mourning  over  the  errors, 
deadening  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  worldly  prac- 
tices around  them,  they  did  not  as  yet  feel  con- 
strained to  bear  witness  against  these  things,  but 
rather  for  the  truth.  By  degrees,  however,  they 
were  conscientiously  led  to  resign  their  connections 
with  systems  which  they  learned  to  consider  un- 
scriptural,  and  which  fettered  them  with  improper 
restrictions.      Severed  thus    from    old    associations, 


8  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  \ 

they  naturally  drew  more  closely  together,  and  were 
helped  by  their  mutual  faith,  both  to  do  and  to  suffer 
the  Lord's  will,  in  pursuing  what  they  believed  to 
be  the  path  of  obedience.  One  little  band  thus 
gathered  at  Plymouth  consisted  of  men  of  marked 
character,  talent,  and  influence;  they  were  full  of 
devotion  to  God  and  zeal  for  the  work  of  Christ, 
and  very  active  as  teachers  and  preachers  of  the 
word.  In  this  place  they  first  received  the  name 
of  "Plymouth  Brethren,"  a  title  since  applied  to 
all  those  who  have  held  similar  views,  though  not 
recognized  by  them  as  a  body.  They  called  them- 
selves by  no  other  name  than  that  applied  to 
the  early  church,  " Brethren,"  or  "Christians." 
Others,  however,  for  distinction  sake,  named  them 
by  the  place  where  they  were  first  publicly  known. 
Earnest  and  diligent  as  evangelists,  these  Brethren 
were  in  labors  more  abundant  than  most;  they 
preached  the  word  in  season  and  out  of  season,  and  the 
Lord  blessed  their  efforts.  Many  of  them  had  given  up 
much  for  Christ's  sake — rank  and  oifice,  income  and 
ease,  social  position  and  worldly  influence.  But  they 
gained  more  than  they  lost;  for  grace,  strength, 
spiritual  power  and  light,  with  abounding  joy  in  the 
Lord,  richly  rewarded  them.  Their  testimony  was 
a  very  bright  one,  reminding  many  of  the  accounts 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  (.) 

of  the  early  church,  in  the  opening  chapters  of  Acts ; 
there  was  no  mistake  about  whose  they  were  and 
whom  they  served ;  they  had  such  love  one  to  another, 
that  men  recognized  them  as  disciples  of  Christ;  their 
usefulness  was  extensive,  and  their  views  became 
rapidly  diffused.     Hundreds  in  various  places  were 
led  to  receive  and  value  the  truth  they  preached, 
and  other  Christians  acknowledged  that  they  gained 
light  and  help  from  their  teaching  and   example. 
As  the  movement  proceeded,  noblemen,  gentlemen, 
clergymen,  naval  and  military  officers,  merchants, 
mechanics,  laborers,  churchmen,  dissenters,  Quakers, 
and  others  were  embraced  by  it;  meetings  of  the 
Brethren  became  common,  and  their  numbers  rapidly 
increased.     It  cannot  be  asserted  that  they  now  re- 
tain all  the  unction  and  fervor  which  characterized 
them  at  the  first,  though  they  still  continue  a  use- 
ful, simple,  happy  body  of  Christians,  and,  walking 
in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  are  multiplied.     It  is  not  altogether  easy  to 
define  their  views,  as  they  have  no  written  creed  or 
confession  of  faith,  and  differ  among  themselves  on 
many  points.     This  is  no  matter  of  surprise,  as  they 
feel  strongly  that  the  bond  of  fellowship  between 
Christians    ought  not    to    consist   in   unanimity  of 
opinion  as  regards  minor  points  of  belief,  but  in  the 


10  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

possession  of  a  common  faith  and  life  in  Christ. 
Any  ground  of  union  or  association  more  narrow 
than  this,  they  regard  as  sectarian;  any  basis  of 
church  fellowship  more  broad  than  this,  as  lati- 
tudinarian — and  both  as  unscriptural.  They  con- 
sider that  Christ  himself  is  the  centre  round  which 
Christians  ought  to  gather,  rather  than  any  creed 
however  true,  or  any  doctrine  however  important. 
Consequently  they  receive  and  acknowledge  all  who 
love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity,  who  are 
sound  in  the  faith,  and  consistent  in  practice,  with- 
out requiring  agreement  on  non-essential  points.* 
Thus  many  among  them,  perhaps  the  majority,  hold 
the  doctrine  of  believers'  baptism  by  immersion  to 
be  scriptural ;  others  hold  infant  baptism,  and  some 
even  consider,  like  the  Quakers,  that  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  supersedes  the  necessity  of  the 
ordinance  of  water  baptism  at  all.  Such  differences 
do  not  hinder  brethren  dwelling  and  worshiping 
together  in  unity.  There  are  also  differences  between 
them  on  other  questions,  such  as  prophecy,  ministry, 
discipline,  church  government,  etc.,  etc.  But  on 
all  such  points,  they  leave  every  man  to  be  fully 

*  They  reject  none  but  those  whom  the  Lord  has  commanded 
them  to  reject  on  account  of  heresy  in  doctrine,  (Titus,  iii.  10,) 
or  disorderly  walk.  (1  Cor.  v.  13.) 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  'r  11 

persuaded  in  his  own  mind.  In  stating  therefore 
the  views,  or  some  of  them,  by  which  the  Brethren 
are  distinguished  from  other  Christians,  the  writer 
must  not  be  understood  as  implying  that  such  views 
are  essential  to  church  membership  among  them,  but 
merely  that  they  are  entertained  by  most  of  them, 
and  regarded  by  others  as  characterizing  the  body. 
In  a  season  of  revival  in  the  church,  some  one 
special  truth  long  lost  sight  of  is  often  reasserted 
with  power;  it  was  so  in  this  case,  as  the  following 
remarks  may  explain.  There  are  three  main  posi- 
tions in  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  con- 
templated with  respect  to  his  people — past,  present, 
and  future.  Christ  as  a  crucified  Saviour  on  earth, 
accomplishing  the  work  of  redemption  from  which 
results  the  salvation  and  justification  of  individual 
souls;  Christ  as  a  risen  and  exalted  Saviour,  in 
heaven,  head  of  a  body,  the  church,  sending  down 
from  heaven  the  Holy  Ghost  the  comforter,  to  form 
and  to  dwell  in  that  bo^ly  till  his  own  return;  and 
Christ  as  a  glorious  and  manifested  Saviour,  coming 
again  to  receive  that  church  to  himself,  "to  be  glo- 
rified in  his  saints,  and  admired  in  all  them  that 
believe."  Now  the  first  of  these,  Christ  crucified 
and  justification  by  faith  in  him  alone,  was  clearly 
and  prominently  brought  out  in  the  reformation  of 


12  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  V 

the  sixteenth  century;  the  other  two,  though  per- 
haps held  as  doctrines,  were  practically  ignored. 
Salvation  hy  faith  instead  of  works  was  preached 
by  the  reformers,  and  souls  were  consequently  con- 
verted and  saved.  But  Christ  as  head  of,  and  ruler 
in  the  church,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  as  its  life  and 
power,  were  not  clearly  seen  or  taught,  and  thus, 
though  delivered  from  the  headship  of  the  pope,  the 
church  fell  under  the  civil  magistrate,  the  king  or 
emperor  as  its  head.  The  hope  of  the  Lord's  re- 
turn was  lost  sight  of  also.  This  blessed  event,  the 
proper  hope  of  the  church,  was  still  confounded  with 
the  general  thought  of  a  day  of  judgment,  so  as  to 
become  practically  powerless  as  a  motive  for  separa- 
tion from  the  world,  or  as  a  comfort  in  the  midst  of 
tribulation.  Now  that  which  specially  characterized 
the  ministry  and  testimony  of  the  Brethren  was  a 
clear  development  of,  and  a  deep  value  for,  the  two 
latter  doctrines,  i.e.  the  headship  of  Christ  over  the 
church,  with  the  consequent  presence  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  in  it)  and  the  personal  return  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  to  receive  the  church  to  himself ,  as  its  proper 
hope.  From  the  first  of  these  truths  they  deduced 
further,  the  unity  or  oneness  which  becomes  the 
church,  as  being  the  body  of  Christ;  and  from  the 
second,  the  separation  from  this  present  evil  world 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  13 

befitting  her,  as  being  the  bride  of  Christ.  Com- 
paring the  state  of  things  in  the  system  around  them 
with  the  Scripture  theory  of  the  church,  and  with 
the  records  of  the  early  church,  "Brethren"  saw,  or 
thought  they  saw,  that  things  were  sadly  out  of 
course,  that  the  church  had  departed  from  her  original 
ground,  and  was  not  constituted  according  to  the 
scriptural  model.  They  earnestly  sought  to  recover 
primitive  simplicity,  power,  and  purity,  to  lay  aside 
everything  that  appeared  to  have  had  its  source 
merely  in  human  tradition  or  worldly  expediency, 
and  to  retain  that  alone  which  was  divinely  ap- 
pointed. Perhaps  this  view  of  the  nature,  calling, 
constitution,  and  position  of  the  church  is  the  root 
of  most  of  their  distinctive  opinions.  Believing 
that  the  church  of  Christ  is,  and  can  be,  but  one 
body,  the  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit,  they 
deem  that  it  ought  to  appear  one  body  in  its  visible 
manifestation  on  earth ;  one  body,  into  which  all 
believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  are  baptized  by 
one  Spirit ;  one  body,  the  head  and  the  only  head  of 
which  is  Christ,  a  risen  Saviour  in  heaven,  "from 
whom  the  whole  body  fitly  joined  together,  and 
compacted  by  that  which  every  joint  supplieth, 
according  to  the  effectual  working  in  the  measure 

of  every  part,  rnaketh   increase  of  the  body   unto 

•> 


14  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

the  edifying  of  itself  in  love."  They  think  further, 
that  the  precept,  "  endeavoring  to  keep  the  unity 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,"  renders  it  in- 
cumbent on  them  to  try  to  manifest  this  oneness, 
and  not  to  sanction  any  tests  or  limitations  which 
interfere  with  it.  They  feel  bound,  therefore,  on 
the  one  hand,  to  own  none  but  a  believer  in  Christ 
as  a  member  of  the  church  which  is  his  body;  and 
on  the  other,  to  own  every  true  believer  as  such, 
whatever  may  be  his  peculiar  religious  opinions ;  to 
hold  fellowship  with  him  because  he  is  a  Christian, 
not  because  he  entertains  such  and  such  views;  to 
receive  him,  in  short,  simply  because  Christ  has  re- 
ceived him.  They  feel  that  they  cannot  make  a 
person  a  member  of  the  church,  nor  can  he  make 
himself  such;  that  the  Holy  Spirit  alone  can  intro- 
duce into  the  body  of  Christ,  and  that  their  part  in 
the  matter  is  to  own  and  recognize  his  previous  action, 
never  to  anticipate  it.  They  believe,  consequently, 
that  a  national  church  errs  on  the  one  hand,  and  all 
sectarian  denominations  on  the  other.  The  one  by 
receiving  into  its  fellowship  those  who  have  not 
been  baptized  by  the  Spirit  into  the  body  of  Christ, 
embracing  in  its  ample  arms  all  alike,  whether  con- 
verted or  unconverted,  obliterating,  in  fact,  the  dis- 
tinction  between   the   church    and    the  world;    the 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  15 

others  by  excluding  those  whom  Christ  has  received, 
making  that  essential  to  membership  in  their  church 
which  he  has  not  made  essential  to  membership  in 
his  body.  They  think  that  while  the  former  fails  to 
recognize  the  one  true  bond  of  union  in  the  church, 
(i.e.  common  life  in  Christ,)  the  latter  superadds 
other  bonds,  (doctrinal  tests,  etc.,)  so  that  while  one 
system  does  not  maintain  the  character  of  the  church 
at  all,  the  other  interferes  with  the  manifestation  of 
its  unity.  Believing  then  that  "whatsoever  is  not 
of  faith  is  sin,"  and  that  according  to  the  light  given 
them  they  are  responsible  to  obey  God,  "the  Breth- 
ren" stand  separate  in  position  from  the  evil  they 
see  on  both  sides,  though  not  separate  in  spirit  from 
any  true  believer's  on  either  side.  As  regards  the 
church's  fundamental  constitution,  they  recognize 
neither  the  principle  of  the  union  of  church  and 
state  with  parochial  arrangement,  nor  that  of  volun- 
tary association,  on  a  basis  too  narrow  to  admit  all 
Christians;  while  in  the  appointment  of  ministry 
they  acknowledge  neither  the  fiat  of  worldly  au- 
thority, (as  in  the  Episcopal  Church  of  England,) 
nor  the  choice  of  the  people,  as  among  dissenters, 
nor  the  authority  of  a  conference  or  presbytery. 
They  consider  that  in  all  these  systems  man  is  too 
prominent,   human    authority    paramount;    whereas 


16  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

that  in  the  church  of  God,  Christ's  authority  by  his 
Holy  Spirit  ought  to  be  paramount,  and  the  source, 
power,  and  guiding  energy  of  all  ministry.  As  re- 
gards this  latter  point  of  ministry  they  consider 
further,  that  the  New  Testament  gives  no  sanction 
to  the  idea  of  any  sacerdotal  class;  that  the  distinc- 
tion between  clergy  and  laity  is  nowhere  counte- 
nanced in  Scripture,  and  that  the  simple  rule  of  the 
word  of  God  on  the  point  is,  "as  every  man  hath 
received  the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same  one  to 
another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of 
God;  if  any  man  speak,  let  him  speak  as  the  oracles 
of  God  ;  if  any  man  minister,  let  him  do  it  as  of  the 
ability  which  God  giveth,  that  God  in  all  things 
may  be  glorified."  They  leave,  therefore,  free 
course  for  the  exercise  of  any  gifts  God  may  have 
bestowed  on  any  individual  for  the  edification  of  the 
body;  they  disallow  all  merely  humanly  appointed 
ministry,  but  they  do  not  reject  that  which  is  divinely 
bestowed.  They  fully  recognize  a  stated  ministry  as 
scriptural,  and  thankfully  enjoy  it  as  a  gracious  pro- 
vision of  the  Lord  for  the  comfort  and  edification 
of  his  church.  What  they  disapprove  is  an  eccle- 
siastically appointed  ministry,  which  sets  aside,  as 
contrary  to  its  order,  all  exercise  of  gift  in  those 
who  have  not  been  ordained  to  the  ministry  as  an 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN?  IT 

office.  They  think  that  now,  as  in  apostolic  times, 
none  can  really  minister  to  the  benefit  of  the  church, 
however  much  trained,  educated,  and  ordained,  how- 
ever learned  and  talented,  unless  they  are  called  and 
gifted  by  God  through  the  Holy  Ghose  for  the  pur- 
pose; and  that  wherever,  on  the  other  hand,  a  per- 
son is  so  called  and  gifted,  though  he  may  neither 
have  been  educated  for  the  office  nor  ordained  to  it, 
that  he  is  not  only  free  to  exercise  his  gift,  but  re- 
sponsible to  Christ  to  do  so.  They  deny  that  Scrip- 
ture authorizes  what  has  been  termed  a  "  one-man 
ministry,"  i.e.  the  assumption  that  in  each  congre- 
gation one  man  and  one  only  is  to  minister  to  the 
rest.  They  consider  it  an  infringement  of  the  pre- 
rogative of  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  distribute  to  "every 
man  severally  as  he  will."  They  believe  that  God 
may  bestow  various  gifts  on  one  man,  or  on  various 
men,  as  he  pleases,  but  that  it  does  not  follow  be- 
cause a  man  has  one  gift,  that  he  has  all ;  that  a 
pastor  or  ruler  is  not  necessarily  qualified  to  be  an 
evangelist  or  a  teacher;  that  a  variety  of  gifts  is 
needful  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints  and  for  the 
effectual  accomplishment  of  the  work  of  the  ministry; 
and  that  God  did  in  the  primitive  church,  and  does 
still  bestow  this  variety  of  ministers  or  servants  on 
his  church,  when  lie  is  looked  to  for  such  a.  blessing, 

2* 


18  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  '( 

These  views  they  deduce  from  such  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture us  the  twelfth  and  fourteenth  of  first  Corinthians 
and  the  fourth  of  Ephesians ;  and  their  own  experience 
for  the  last  thirty  years  has  happily  illustrated  the 
possibility  of  carrying  out  such  views,  and  the  blessed 
results  which  flow  from  simple  dependence  on  Christ, 
in  all  that  concerns  the  edification  of  his  body,  the 
church.  Having  no  ordained  or  specially  educated 
ministry,  few  bodies  of  Christians,  in  proportion  to 
their  numbers,  have  been  so  richly  blessed  with 
devoted,  earnest,  spiritual  ministers.  Evangelists 
or  preachers  of  the  gospel  to  the  unconverted,  pas- 
tors or  watchful  shepherds  of  the  flock,  teachers 
deeply  instructed  in  the  mind  of  God  as  revealed 
in  Scripture,  rulers,  elders,  deacons,  all  have  been 
and  are  found  among  the  Brethren,  and  are  owned 
and  acknowledged  as  gifts  from  the  Great  Head  of 
the  church.  In  some  congregations  many,  in  others 
fewer,  as  the  case  mayJbe,  work  harmoniously  to- 
gether for  the  good  of  the  body.  The  flock  is  not 
limited  to  the  services  of  one  individual,  nor  is  one 
minister  oppressed  with  the  weight  of  meeting  all 
the  various  requirements  of  an  assembly.  (Rom.  xii. 
3-8.)  The  Brethren  obey  those  that  have  the  rule 
over  them ;  esteem  very  highly  in  love  those  who 
labor  among  them;  count  worthy  of  double  honor 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN?  19 

the  elders  who  rule  well,  especially  those  who  labor 
in  word  and  doctrine.  As  regards  the  support  of 
the  ministry,  their  view  is  that  the  work  ought  never 
to  be  undertaken  for  the  sake  of  earning  a  liveli- 
hood or  increasing  an  income;  yet  they  quite  hold 
to  the  scriptural  rule,  "they  that  preach  the  gospel 
should  live  of  the  gospel."  It  often  happens  that 
those  who  minister  among  them  are  men  of  inde- 
pendent fortune,  or,  perhaps,  engaged  in  some 
lucrative  occupation,  which  renders  assistance  from 
others  needless.  In  such  cases  the  pastors  may  be 
able  to  give  not  only  spiritual  but  temporal  things 
also  to  the  poor  of  the  flock ;  and  so  they  often  do 
generously  and  liberally ;  for,  as  a  general  rule,  hav- 
ing food  and  raiment,  the  Brethren  are  therewith 
content,  and  care  little  for  wealth  or  luxury.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  one  who  ministers  to  them  in  spir- 
itual things  is  known  to  require  assistance  in  car- 
nal things,  known  to  be  poor  in  this  world's  goods, 
Brethren  are  glad  to  meet  his  need,  and  each  one 
according  to  his  ability  to  contribute  to  his  sup- 
port. Stated  salaries  they  do  not  give,  nor  would 
their  ministers  accept ;  nor  do  they,  any  more  than 
Paul,  who  wrought  as  a  tent-maker,  think  it  at  all  in- 
consistent with  the  office  of  the  ministry  that  a  man 
should  work  either  with  his  head  or  his  hands,  in 


20  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

other  ways  to  support  himself  or  his  family.  Thus 
among  their  ministers  there  are  not  only  noblemen 
and  gentlemen  of  various  professions,  but  mer- 
chants, shopkeepers,  farmers,  mechanics,  and  labor- 
ers, all  evidently  called  and  capacitated  by  God  for 
the~  work  of  the  ministry,  and  all  accepted  by  the 
Christians  among  whom  they  labor.  If,  however,  a 
man  feels  himself  called  to  devote  all  his  time  and 
energy  to  preaching  the  gospel,  and  wishes  to  give 
himself  wholly  to  this  work,  the  Brethren  would 
quite  consider  him  justified  in  throwing  aside  any 
profession  or  business  which  might  be  a  hinderance 
to  him,  and  in  casting  himself  in  faith  on  the  Lord 
for  support.  They  would  gladly  assist  such  a  one, 
and  feel  it  a  privilege  so  to  do,  for  they  know  that 
the  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,  though  they  think 
all  service  in  the  church  should  be  rendered  not  of 
constraint,  but  willingly  for  Christ's  sake,  and  of  a 
ready  mind.  They  think  that  a  servant  of  the 
church  is  responsible,  not  to  the  church,  but  to 
Christ  in  all  that  regards  his  service;  that  the  under 
shepherds  hold  their  commission,  not  from  the  flock, 
but  from  the  Chief  Shepherd,  from  whom  they  hope 
to  receive  "the  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not 
away,"  and  to  whom  they  will  have  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  their  stewardship. 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN?  li  1 

Their  public  worship  (lifters  from  that  of  other 
Christians,  principally  in  being  more  simple  and 
more  spiritual.  They  have  no  forms  and  no  regular 
plan  in  their  meeting ;  no  organs,  no  choirs,  no  pul- 
pits, no  pews.  A  simple  room,  large  or  small,  as 
the  number  in  the  congregation  may  require,  fur- 
nished with  plain  seats,  answers  every  purpose. 
Sometimes  it  may  be  literally  an  "upper  chamber," 
sometimes  a  capacious  chapel — always,  however,  per- 
fectly free  from  ornament  or  decoration  of  any  kind. 
Here  they  assemble  to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in 
truth,  and  they  think  they  can  do  so  as  well,  or 
indeed  better,  unassisted  by  any  of  those  means 
which  appeal  only  to  the  outward  senses.  Con- 
sequently they  have  no  instrumental  music,  though 
they  sing  the  praises  of  God,  and  sing  them  with 
the  spirit  and  the  understanding.  Their  selec- 
tions of  hymns  are  generally  choice  and  spiritual, 
and  their  own  productions  in  this  line  need  only  to  be 
known  to  be  appreciated;  they  are  full  of  truth  as 
well  as  poetry,  and  give  sweet  and  appropriate  ex- 
pression to  the  higher  emotions  of  Christian  worship. 
In  the  singing  at  their  meetings,  a  fastidious  taste 
may  sometimes  be  offended  by  want  of  harmony,  or 
displeased  by  false  time;  the  uncultivated  voice  of 
some  warm-hearted  worshiper  may  occasionally  jar 


22  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN? 

upon  the  musical  ear,  but  they  would  rather  the 
connoisseur  should  suffer  from  the  defective  music  of 
their  psalmody,  than  that  the  happy  worship  of  any 
heart  should  be  checked  in  its  utterance,  or  the  ear 
of  God  offended  by  the  offering  of  mere  music  in- 
stead of  heartfelt  adoration.  For  congregational 
singing  they  consider  there  is  ample  New  Testament 
warrant ;  for  instrumental  music  in  public  worship, 
none:  and  they  would  not  accept  the  Old  Testament 
practice  in  the  temple,  etc.  as  an  example,  or 
authority,  believing  that  in  that  bygone  age  out- 
ward worship  was  ordained  and  accepted  by  God, 
whereas  in  this  present  dispensation  the  true  wor- 
shipers must  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  in 
truth,  for  such  alone  does  the  Father  seek  to  worship 
him. 

The  assemblies  of  the  Brethren  have  various 
characters  and  various  objects.  The  following  are  the 
principal:  Meetings  for  ivorship,  that  is,  when  true 
believers,  Christians,  come  together  to  worship  God 
and  to  break  bread  in  remembrance  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  These  are  usually  held  on  Sunday 
morning,  though  sometimes  in  the  afternoon  or 
evening  of  the  Lord's  day.  The  unconverted  are  by 
no  means  excluded  from  these  services ;  on  the  con- 
trary, numbers  of  them  are  generally  present;  they 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  '.'  23 


• 


do  not  of  course  partake  in  the  ordinance  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  nor  is  the  ministry  in  any  way 
especially  adapted  to  them.  It  is  an  assembly  of 
believers,  the  primary  object  of  which  is  in  the 
breaking  of  bread  to  remember  the  dying  love  of 
Jesus,  "to  show  forth  the  Lord's  death  till  he 
come;"  according  to  the  passage,  "upon  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  when  the  disciples  came  together 
to  break  bread,"  which,  like  many  others,  indicates, 
the  Brethren  consider,  that  the  breaking  of  bread 
should  be  the  main  object  for  which  they  assemble 
on  that  day,  and  that  they  should  come  together  for 
that  express  purpose,  every  "first  day  of  the  week," 
not  merely  on  the  first  Sunday  in  the  month,  quarter, 
or  year.  It  was  evidently  the  custom  of  the  early 
church  so  to  do,  and  they  see  nothing  to  justify 
them  in  departing  from  this  ordinance  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  for  the  saints.  Like  the  brethren  at  Troas 
and  at  Corinth,  they  assemble  to  break  bread,  not 
to  hear  a  sermon,  not  to  receive  instruction,  (though 
they  may  do  both,)  but  to  remember  Jesus,  by  the 
ordinance  he  appointed  "the  same  night  in  which  he 
was  betrayed."  They  consider  that  while  Scripture 
does  not  prescribe  that  this  ordinance  shall  be  ob- 
served only  once  a  week,  it  does  not  certainly  con- 
template a  less  frequent  observance  of  it,  the  apos- 


24  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 


* 


tolic  practice  being  to  meet  for  this  purpose  on 
"the  first  day  of  the  week,"  the  Lord's  day.  At 
their  meetings  there  may  be  prayer  and  singing, 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  and  possibly  exposition 
of  them;  one  or  two  or  more  may  speak  a  word  of 
comfort  or  exhortation  or  instruction,  or  there  may 
be  nothing  of  this  kind;  quiet  pauses  of  silent  wor- 
ship, of  longer  or  shorter  duration,  usually  intervene 
between  the  exercises ;  all  is  left  quite  open,  remem- 
bering that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is,  according  to 
his  promise,  in  their  midst:  the  Brethren  endeavor 
to  leave  the  conduct  of  their  meetings  to  his  Spirit. 
They  believe  that  the  worship,  whether  of  the  char- 
acter of  prayer  or  praise,  can  only  be  true  and  ac- 
ceptable as  prompted  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they 
leave  it  therefore  to  him  to  preside  in  their  assem- 
bly :  no  one  is  leader,  no  one  is  minister ; — as  brethren 
they  gather,  to  remember  their  Lord,  around  his  own 
table,  and  the  bread  and  wine  are,  after  prayer, 
silently  passed  from  one  to  another.  It  may  be 
supposed  that  such  an  absence  of  arrangement 
would  lead.to  disorder,  that  many  who  ought  not  to 
speak  would  do  so  if  the  way  were  open,  and  that 
there  would  be  confusion  and  want  of  harmony  in 
the  meeting.  It  is  not  so  practically — very  much 
the  reverse;  of  course  spiritual  order  can  only  be 


WHO    ARE   THE    BRETHREN  ?  25 

preserved  by  those  who  are  really  spiritually  minded ; 
in  these  meetings  it  may  occasionally  be  infringed 
upon,  by  individuals  who  are  not  walking  in  the 
spirit;  but  such  cases  are  rare  and  exceptional. 
Brethren  believe  that  if  they  in  faith  resign  the 
ordering  of  their  worship  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  he 
will  not  fail  to  regulate  it,  and  in  this  they  are  not 
disappointed. 

On  other  occasions,  Sunday  afternoon  or  evening, 
or  both,  they  hold  meetings,  the  special  object  of 
which  is  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  unconverted. 
Those  who  have  the  gift  of  an  evangelist,  at  such 
times  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  and 
expound  the  way  of  reconciliation  to  God,  address- 
ing themselves  exclusively  to  the  hearts  and  con- 
sciences of  those  who  know  not  God  and  obey  not 
the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  what 
the  Brethren  especially  designate  preaching,  and 
they  draw  a  broad  distinction  between  this  and 
teaching  the  church.  The  former  they  regard  as 
the  church's  mission  in  the  world,  "preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature;"  the  latter,  as  the  privilege 
of  Christians  among  themselves,  "comfort  your- 
selves together  and  edify  one  another,"  "exhort 
one  another  daily,"  etc.  The  object  of  the  one  is 
to  save  sinners;  of  the  other,  to  edify  saints.     The 

3 


26  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

elementary  truths  of  ruin  and  redemption  must  be 
the  main  burden  of  the  evangelist's  testimony ;  but 
the  whole  range  of  the  deep  and  various  mysteries 
of  God,  is  the  portion  of  the  church.  They  think 
that  other  denominations  are  losers  by  not  suffi- 
ciently recognizing  this  difference;  the  ministry  to 
the  church  being  too  much  confined  to  mere  evan- 
gelization, "  laying  again  the  foundations"  of  element- 
ary doctrines,  instead  of  advancing  to  the  deeper 
things  of  God,  "going  on  to  perfection."  In  these 
meetings  for  preaching,  they  do  not  leave  it  open 
for  any  one  to  speak ;  it  is  understood  that  some  in- 
dividual who  has  the  gift  of  an  evangelist  will  con- 
duct the  service,  and  he  generally  does  so  unas- 
sisted, though  others  may  sometimes  engage  in 
prayer,  etc.  The  Brethren  also  preach  much  in  the 
open  air,  and  often  hire  public  buildings,  halls,  etc. 
for  the  purpose.  Sometimes  after  having  met  to- 
gether for  worship  on  the  morning  of  the  Lord's  day, 
two,  four,  six,  or  eight  from  one  meeting  will  go  in 
different  directions,  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  for  this 
object,  sometimes  two  and  two,  more  frequently  alone. 
Country  villages,  and  the  crowded  streets  and  lanes 
of  large  cities,  afford  ample  sphere  for  all  who  have 
time  and  heart  for  this  blessed  work.  Open  air 
preaching  is   now  common    in   England :   from  the 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  27 

Episcopal  bishop  to  the  Wesleyan  local  preacher, 
all  sections  of  the  church  practice  it;  but  long  be- 
fore this  was  the  case.  Brethren  were  in  the  habit 
of  going  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges,  and  the 
streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  to  carry  the  message 
of  mercy.  Besides  the  above,  they  hold  also  meet- 
ings for  prayer  and  conference,  similar  to  those 
usual  in  this  country,  and  for  expository  lectures  on 
Scripture,  delivered  by  teachers  who  are  competent 
to  instruct  and  enlighten  their  brethren ;  and  Scrip- 
ture reading.  On  these  last  occasions  a  portion  of 
Scripture  is  read,  prayerfully  studied,  and  freely 
discussed  by  all  present,  those  who  need  light  asking 
questions,  those  who  can  impart  it  answering  them, 
and  all  feeling  free  to  express  any  view  or  senti- 
ment they  may  entertain.  These  meetings  may 
partly  account  for  the  fact  stated  in  some  papers, 
that  "the  Plymouth  Brethren  are  all,  men  and 
women,  most  diligent  readers  of  the  Bible,  and 
wonderfully  expert  in  finding  proof  in  Holy 
Writ  for  all  their  views."  This  is  perfectly  cor- 
rect; it  may  be  questioned  whether  as  a  body  any 
denomination  more  closely  and  habitually  "search 
the  Scriptures"  both  in  public  and  in  private;  and 
as  they  seek  to  deduce  all  their  opinions  and  all  their 
practices  from  the  word  of  God,  it  is  no  matter  of 


28  WHO    ARE   THE    BRETHREN  ? 

surprise  that  they  should  be  "expert  in  finding 
proof  for  them  in  Holy  Writ."  Besides  these 
public  meetings,  they  have  frequent  social  reunions 
at  each  other's  houses,  and  rarely  or  never  come 
together  without  spending  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  in  prayer,  and  in  the  consideration  of  some 
passage  of  Scripture.  An  evening  party  or  social 
gathering  of  any  kind  among  them  without  this,  is 
most  uncommon;  they  find  so  much  pleasure  and 
enjoyment  as  well  as  profit  in  such  communion, 
that  their  intercourse  without  it  would  appear  to 
them  comparatively  uninteresting.  As  a  body  they 
do  not  frequent  any  places  of  public  amusement, 
and  take  little  part  in  politics,  or  worldly  enter- 
prises, feeling  that  as  Christians  they  are  not  of  the 
world  even  as  Christ  was  not  of  the  world.  They 
deem  that  their  only  or  main  business  on  earth  is 
to  bear  witness  to  the  truth,  to  be  "burning  and 
shining  lights,"  "epistles  of  Christ  known  and  read 
of  all  men;"  and  they  seek  consequently  to  be  not 
conformed  to  this  world,  but  transformed  by  the 
renewing  of  their  minds.  They  hold  and  teach 
strongly  the  doctrine  of  the  heavenly  calling,  and 
feel  that  when  it  is  not  clearly  apprehended,  and 
acted  upon,  there  cannot  be  a  true  and  elevated 
standard   of    Christian   morality.      They   see   that 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  20 

whereas  God  blessed  the  Jews  with  earthly  bless- 
ings, he  blesses  Christians  with  "all  spiritual  bless- 
ings in  heavenly  places  in  Christ,"  so  that  while  it 
was  lawful  for  the  Jews  to  set  their  affections  on 
things  on  earth,  Christians  are  told  to  set  their 
affections  on  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the  earth ; 
that  whereas  the  Jews  were  to  fight  against  enemies 
in  their  land,  Christians  are  told  that  the  weapons 
of  their  warfare  are  "not  carnal  but  spiritual,"  and 
that  the  only  sword  they  are  commanded  to  take,  is 
"the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  the  word  of  God;"  that 
whereas  the  Jews  had  one  particular  place  in  the 
land,  and  one  dedicated  building  in  it,  where  alone 
they  could  worship  God,  Christians  are  told  that 
wherever  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in 
Christ's  name,  he  is  there  in  the  midst  of  them; 
that  whereas  the  Jews  might  take  vengeance  for  in- 
juries done  them,  Christians  are  directed  not  to 
avenge  themselves;  that  whereas  riches  were  a  mark 
of  God's  favor  to  the  Jews,  it  is  said  a  rich  man 
shall  hardly  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and 
"not  many  noble  are  called;"  that  while  the  Jews 
were  to  be  at  home  in  Canaan,  Christians  are  to  be 
pilgrims  and  strangers  here,  remembering  that  their 
home  is  in  heaven,  and  that  the  world  lieth  in  the 
wicked    one.       They   think,    therefore,    that    while 

3* 


30  WHO    ARE    THE   BRETHREN? 

patriotism  was  right  and  lawful  in  a  Jew,  it  is 
wrong  in  a  Christian,  who  should  regard  this  world 
as  a  "strange  country,"  and  desire  a  better,  that 
is,  "an  heavenly."  All  these  and  many  other  points 
of  dissimilarity  between  the  earthly  and  the  heavenly 
callings,  the  Brethren  feel  to  be  of  great  practical 
importance,  and,  according  to  the  grace  of  God  be- 
stowed on  them,  they  seek  to  walk  worthy  of  the 
heavenly  calling,  the  vocation  wherewith  they  are 
called.  They  do  not  consider  themselves  as  citizens 
of  this  world;  while  in  it,  they  feel  they  are  not  of 
it,  that  their  "  citizenship  is  in  heaven,"  their  treasure 
in  heaven,  and  that  their  names  are  written  in  heaven. 
So  they  never  assume  civil  offices,  they  never  vote 
at  elections,  they  do  not  act  as  magistrates,  they  do 
not  go  to  law,  they  submit  to  the  powers  that  be, 
but  do  not  seek  to  hold  power  or  to  enforce  law  on 
others.  Standing  in  grace  themselves,  they  seek  to 
act  in  grace  toward  others,  they  "take  the  wrong"  and 
suffer  themselves  to  be  defrauded,  rather  than  "  resist 
evil"  and  "avenge"  themselves.  They  conceive  that 
as  God  dealt  with  the  Israelites  on  the  ground  of  law, 
it  was  perfectly  consistent  for  them  to  deal  with  one 
another  on  the  same  principle,  but  that  as  God  now 
deals  with  Christians  on  the  ground  of  grace,  it  is 
inconsistent  and  utterly  inadmissible  in  them  to  deal 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  '.'  31 

with  one  another  on  any  other  principle.  They  think 
that  Scripture  abounds  with  authority  for  this  view — 
precept,  parable,  and  example  being  used  both  by 
the  Lord  and  his  disciples  to  enforce  it.  Power,  then, 
or  rank  in  this  world,  riches  or  honor,  name  or  fame, 
they  feel  to  be  all  objects  unworthy  of  being  sought, 
accepted,  or  even  retained,  by  Christians;  they 
would  covet  rather  fellowship  with  Christ's  suffering 
and  rejection,  knowing  that  if  they  were  faithful,  the 
world  would  hate  them  even  as  it  hated  their  Lord, 
for  the  "disciple  is  not  above  his  master,  nor  the 
servant  above  his  Lord."  The  brother  of  low  degree 
rejoices  that  in  Christ  he  is  exalted,  and  the  brother 
of  high  degree  that  he  is  made  low.  All  believe 
that  in  the  church  of  Christ  the  rule  should  be,  "let 
him  that  would  be  great  be  the  minister,  and  he  that 
would  be  chief  be  the  servant  of  all,  for  one  is  their 
master  even  Christ,  and  all  they  are  brethren." 
As  regards  wealth  they  feel  that  it  involves  only  the 
greater  responsibility  of  stewardship ;  that  none  of 
the  things  they  have  are  their  own,  but  to  be  used 
for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  his  people; 
many  among  them  thoroughly  carry  out  this  con- 
viction in  their  manner  of  life :  their  houses,  furni- 
ture, table,  dress,  and  general  habits  are  extremely 
simple;  and  in  the  earlier  times  of  their  history  were 


32  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN? 

perhaps  still  more  so.  In  those  days  many  Christians 
even  considered  that  they  went  quite  too  far  in  non- 
conformity to  the  world,  in  these  respects;  but  it 
may  well  be  questioned  whether  the  change  which 
has  latterly  and  gradually  taken  place  among  them, 
in  the  abolition  of  some  of  these  peculiarities,  is  not 
rather  a  deterioration  than  an  improvement.  They 
do  not  even  now  conform  to  the  fashions  or  .customs 
of  the  world,  in  such  matters,  and  on  the  whole,  pre- 
serve to  a  very  considerable  degree  an  unworldly 
simplicity  and  godly  sincerity  in  their  manner  of 
life. 

Numbers  among  them  have  been  reduced  from 
affluence  to  poverty,  by  sacrifices  made  for  the 
truth's  sake,  and  cheerfully  endure  privation  and 
discomfort,  to  keep  a  conscience  void  of  offence  to- 
ward God.  A  recent  case  occurs  as  an  example: 
The  incumbent  of  a  country  parish,  who  had  long 
enjoyed  his  comfortable  income  and  snug  parsonage 
house,  in  "a  living"  which  was  his  for  life,  and  who 
had  the  prospect  of  further  "church  preferment" 
from  influential  relatives,  became  uneasy  in  con- 
science, under  a  sense  of  the  radical  errors  and  deep 
corruptions  existing  in  the  established  Church  of 
England.  He  received  the  views  of  the  Brethren  in 
many  respects,  and  felt  he  could  no  longer  retain  a 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  33 

position  which  he  clearly  saw  to  be  imscriptural. 
The  struggle  between  conscience  and  interest  was 
hard;  he  had  no  resource  to  turn  to,  his  age  and 
education  rendered  it  difficult  for  him  to  pursue  any 
other  avocation  ;  a  delicate  wife  and  a  numerous 
family  must  be  maintained, — and  how  was  he  to 
support  them?  Friends  and  relatives  expostulated, 
blamed,  utterly  condemned  him — no  help  was  to  be 
hoped  for  from  them ;  but  faith  in  God  enabled  him, 
having  counted  the  cost,  to  make  the  sacrifice.  The 
living  was  resigned,  the  future  was  left  to  the  Lord, 
and  confidence  that  he  would  provide  sustained  the 
heart  of  his  servant.  And  the  Lord  did  and  does 
provide,  and  the  peace  and  joy  which  flow  from  a 
happy  heart  and  a  clear  conscience  more  than  make 
up  for  all  that  is  lost,  though  the  change  involves 
poverty,  discomfort,  and  much  that  is  irksome  and 
trying  to  the  natural  mind. 

Dozens,  scores,  not  to  say  hundreds  of  such  cases 
might  be  mentioned,  nor  of  such  only;  in  other  pro- 
fessions, other  scruples  lead  to  the  same  sacrifice  of 
station  and  income  for  the  Lord's  sake.  The  son  of 
an  earl,  who  bears  a  name,  than  which  none  stands 
higher  in  the  military  archives  of  Britain,  held  a 
commission  in  the  army,  and  saw  before  him  as  fair 
a  prospect  of    advancement    as    heart    could  wish. 


34  WHO    ARE   THE    BRETHREN  ? 

Young,  ardent  and  ambitious,  with  the  glorious  ex- 
ample (as  the  world  would  consider  it)  of  a  noble 
and  illustrious  kinsman  before  him,  he  was  converted, 
brought  to  count  all  his  advantages  loss  for  Christ, 
brought  to  see  the  evils  of  war  .and  its  irreconcilable 
inconsistency  with  the  gospel  of  peace,  to  feel  that 
he  could  not  serve  two  masters, — the  Prince  of  peace, 
who  said  my  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world,  and  who 
forbade  his  servants  to  use  the  sword,  and  the  Queen 
of  England,  whose  kingdom  is  of  this  world,  and 
must  be  defended  by  the  sword.  He  felt  he  could 
not  love  his  enemies  and  yet  kill  his  enemies,  and  he 
aspired  to  a  nobler  destiny  than  even  to  be  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  British  forces.  He  laid  aside 
his  sword,  resigned  his  commission,  turned  his  back 
upon  the  world,  and  became  a  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
He  has  now  lived  for  many  years  a  humble  and  con- 
sistent Christian,  in  the  utmost  plainness  and  sim- 
plicity, giving  his  time,  talents,  and  energies  to  the 
work  of  winning  souls  to  God,  enduring  hardness  as 
a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  not  encumbering 
himself  with  the  aifairs  of  this  life,  that  he  may 
please  Him  who  has  chosen  him  to  be  a  soldier. 
His  noble  and  wealthy  connections  of  course  ac- 
count him  a  fool,  but  he  is  willing  to  be  esteemed  a 
fool  for  Christ's  sake,  and   remembers  that   "  that 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  35 

which  is  highly  esteemed  among  men,  is  abomination 
in  the  sight  of  God."  A  very  large  number  of  naval 
and  military  officers  have  acted  similarly ;  some  have 
adopted  less  objectionable  occupations,  and  others, 
having  gifts  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  have  ad- 
dicted themselves  to  it. 

Family  persecution  has  been  the  portion  of  others, 
for  the  prejudice  against  dissenters,  still  strong  in 
England,  was  much  stronger  formerly,  and  the 
Brethren  were  peculiarly  obnoxious  to  it.  Sons  have 
been  disinherited  by  their  fathers,  daughters  turned 
out  of  doors  and  disowned  for  long  years,  cut  off 
from  all  intercourse  with  their  friends  and  relatives, 
and  in  other  cases  confined  for  months  to  one  apart- 
ment, to  prevent  their  contaminating  other  members 
of  the  family,  and  to  secure  cessation  of  all  inter- 
course with  those  in  whose  sentiments  they  agreed. 
Beautiful  instances  of  patient  grace  and  forbearance, 
combined  with  unflinching  firmness  of  purpose,  have 
occurred  in  many  such  cases,  and  been  instrumental 
in  turning  the  unbelieving  parents  from  darkness  to 
light,  winning  them  not  only  to  God,  but  to  the  very 
views  they  once  so  bitterly  opposed.  Whole  fami- 
lies have  thus  been  converted  by  means  of  one 
member;  and  their  histories  strikingly  illustrate  the 
truth  of  the  saying,  ;'if  any  man  serve  me,  him  will 


36  WHO    ARE   THE   BRETHREN  ? 

my  Father  honor."  The  annals  of  the  Brethren 
would  furnish  touching  and  instructive  episodes  of 
this  kind,  but  the  limits  of  this  article  forbid  their 
introduction.  The  remarkable  case  of  that  hon- 
ored and  faithful  servant  of  God,  George  Miiller,  of 
Bristol,  is  becoming  more  known  in  this  country, 
though  his  character  can  hardly  be  appreciated,  in 
all  its  features,  from  a  mere  acquaintance  with  his 
writings.  The  magnitude  and  variety  of  his  under- 
taking have  given  notoriety  to  his  name  in  connection 
with  the  power  of  faith,  and  a  life  of  trust.  None 
even  among  the  Brethren  have  acted  for  so  long  a 
period,  with  equally  strong  faith,  or  received  such 
numerous  and  unequivocal  answers  to  prayer,  in 
connection  with  earthly  things.  But  in  other  ways 
and  measures  many  of  them  have  trodden  the  same 
path,  and  can  bear  the  same  witness  to  the  faithful- 
ness of  God,  in  supplying  every  need  in  answer  to 
prayer. 

Missionaries  have  gone  abroad  to  give  themselves 
to  the  Lord's  work  among  the  heathen,  in  the  energy 
of  individual  faith,  unconnected  with  any  board,  un- 
sustained  by  any  committee ;  under  the  burning  suns 
of  India,  in  the  unhealthy  climate  of  Demarara,  in 
China,  and  the  West  Indies,  and  many  other  places 
they  have  labored  in  the  vineyard,  looking  only  to 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  37 

the  Lord  of  the  vineyard  for  present  support  or 
future  reward.  Many  of  them  have  been  blessed 
and  successful  as  missionaries,  have  gone  through 
much  suffering  and  privation,  but  have  found  the 
Lord  supply  all  their  need,  through  the  love  and 
fellowship  of  Christians  at  home,  as  well  as  through 
other  channels.  Others  have  labored  in  the  dark 
parts  of  their  own  country;  others  have  opened 
houses  to  show  hospitality  to  Christian  strangers, 
high  or  low,  who  needed  it,  and  they  have  continued 
this  course  for  years,  without  having  any  ostensible 
means  of  support,  seeking  help  only  from  Him  to 
whom  the  silver  and  the  gold  belong.  The  Brethren 
are  not  much  in  the  habit  of  organizing  societies  or 
associations,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  objects 
connected  with  the  glory  of  God  or  the  good  of  man. 
They  fear  the  danger  of  mixed  motives  in  such  ar- 
rangements, detracting  from  the  value  of  the  service 
in  the  sight  of  God,  and  feel  that  it  is  better  for 
each  one  to  act  according  to  his  own  faith  and 
ability.  They  strongly  disapprove  of  Christians  unit- 
ing with  the  world  for  such  objects,  or  seeking  its  pe- 
cuniary assistance.  They  think  the  precept,  "be  ye 
not  unequally  yoked  together  with  unbelievers," 
forbids  all  such  combinations,  and  they  therefore 
rarely  join  or  subscribe  to  religious  societies  so  con- 

4 


38  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN? 

stituted;  they  feel  they  must  not  do  evil,  even 
that  good  may  come.  Their  efforts  in  such  matters 
are  more  private  and  individual,  and  the  results  con- 
sequently less  known;  but  they  are  by  no  means  idle, 
and  without  any  machinery  or  any  publicity  perhaps 
accomplish  more,  in  proportion  to  their  numbers, 
than  most.  What  they  do  is,  at  any  rate,  done  to  the 
Lord  and  not  to  men,  for  no  motives  but  individual 
faith,  love,  and  zeal  are  likely  to  operate,  where  the 
right  hand  knows  not  the  deeds  of  the  left. 

The  writings  of  the  Brethren  are  not  so  generally 
known,  as  from  their  intrinsic  value  they  deserve  to 
be.  This  fact  is  to  be  regretted,  but  it  may  be  easily 
accounted  for.  In  matter,  instructive  and  interesting, 
calculated  to  enlighten  students  of  Scripture,  and  to 
edify  and  comfort  Christians  of  all  classes;  in  man- 
ner, they  are  sometimes  singularly  unattractive,  oc- 
casionally, indeed,  readable  only  by  those  who  are 
willing  to  bestow  close  attention  and  some  study  on 
the  perusal.  Few  of  the  Brethren  have  presented 
their  thoughts  to  the  religious  public  in  a  form 
likely  to  insure  them  fair  consideration.  Their 
gospel  tracts  are  admirable,  and  have  received  very 
wide  circulation,  but  their  other  writings  will  seldom 
attract  the  cursory  reader;  those  who  really  desire 
help  in  the  understanding  of  the  truth  of  God  will, 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  3D 

however,  find  much  assistance  from  their  expository 
works  on  many  parts  of  Scripture.  They  are  not 
found  much  in  this  country,  but  can  be  procured 
from  any  London  bookseller.  G.  Morrish,  24  War- 
wick Lane,  Paternoster  Row,  or  W.  Yapp,  71  Wel- 
beek  St.,  Cavendish  Square,  for  instance,  would 
supply  their  publications  on  any  subject.  Their 
works  are  rarely  controversial  in  character ;  when, 
some  years  ago,  circumstances  called  for  explana- 
tions and  justifications  of  their  opinions,  several 
such  treatises  were  published.  But,  as  a  general  rule, 
their  writings  are  directly  explanatory  of  Scriptures. 
Those  who  would  like  to  know  more  of  the  Brethren 
and  their  teachings,  or  to  examine  the  Scripture 
grounds  on  which  the  views  above  stated  are  main- 
tained and  justified,  can  consult  the  following  works: 
"  The  Heresy  of  a  Human  Priesthood,"  by  Beverly; 
"The  Church  of  England  Examined,"  by  Beverly; 
"  The  Way  of  Truth  in  Evil  Times,"  by  Dorman; 
"Five  Letters  on  Worship  and  Ministry  in  the 
Spirit,"  by  Trotter — also  a  variety  of  smaller  pam- 
phlets and  tracts  on  the  same  subject,  by  various 
authors.  "  Discipleship,  or  Reasons  for  Resigning 
His  Naval  Rank  and  Pay,"  by  P.  F.  Hall;  "  On 
Worship,"  by  Harris;  "Lecture  on  Puseyism,"  by 
Howard;     "Memoir    of    Norris     Groves,    Mission- 


40  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

ary  to  the  East,"  by  his  Widow ;  "  Notes  on  Genesis, 
Exodus,  and  Leviticus,"  by  Mackintosh,  (very  valu- 
able:) "Notes  on  Romans,  Ephesians,  and  He- 
brews," by  Pridham;  "The  Four  Gospels,"  by 
Jukes;  "Notes  on  the  Offerings,"  by  Jukes; 
"  Recollections  of  an  Evangelist,"  by  Gribble ; 
"  The  Lord's  Dealings  with  George  MUller,"  by 
himself;  "The  Tabernacle,"  by  Soltau,  (a  valuable 
work,  published  by  Bagster.)  The  above  are  compara- 
tively small,  inexpensive  books,  except  the  last,  which 
has  plates,  and  the  price  of  which  may  be  about  $7 
or  $8.  "The  Christian  Witness,"  "The  Present 
Testimony,"  "Things  New  and  Old,"  and  "The 
Evangelist,"  are  periodicals  devoted  to  the  elucida- 
tion of  Scripture  and  the  spread  of  gospel  truth. 
Many  of  the  Brethren  have  devoted  much  attention 
to  the  study  of  prophecy,  and  their  writings  on  the 
subject  are  valuable  and  interesting,  less  specula- 
tive, and  more  spiritual  and  practical  than  many 
prophetic  treatises.  They  very  generally  hold  pre- 
millennial  views,  but  quite  apart  from  the  fanaticism 
which  has  so  much  accompanied  them  in  this  country. 
They  believe  that  though  no  man  knows  the  day  nor 
the  hour  of  the  Lord's  second  advent,  yet  that  the 
right  attitude,  both  for  individuals  and  the  church  at 
large,  is,  "  having  turned  to  God  from  idols,  to  be 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  41 

serving  the  living  and  true  God,  and  waiting  for  his 
Son  from  heaven,"  saying  with  Paul,  "our  conver- 
sation is  in  heaven,  from  whence  also  ive  look  for  the 
Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  change 
our  vile  bodies,  that  they  may  be  fashioned  like  unto 
his  glorious  body."  Diversity  of  view  prevails 
among  them  on  the  detail  of  prophetic  interpreta- 
tion. The  following  are  a  few  of  their  writings  on 
the  subject :  "Plain  Papers  on  Prophetic  Subjects," 
by  Trotter;  "Thoughts  on  the  Apocalypse,"  by 
Xewton;  "Eight  Lectures  on  Prophecy,"  by 
Trotter  and  Smith;  "Prophetic  Charts,"  and 
Hymns  and  Poems,"  by  Sir  E.  Denny;  "Hopes  of 
the  Church,"  and  "  Studies  on  Daniel,"  by  J.  N. 
Darby,  etc.  etc. 

On  the  subject  of  discipline  in  the  church,  there 
has  also  been  some  diversity  of  opinion  among  the 
Brethren,  and,  unhappily,  it  has  latterly  occasioned 
them  no  small  amount  of  controversy.  They  are 
not  free  from  human  imperfections  any  more  than 
others,  and  there  are  some  among  them  who,  like 
Diotrephes  of  old,  love  to  have  the  pre-eminence. 
This  has  caused  them  trouble  and  sorrow,  and  where 
controversy  waxes  warm,  Christian  charity  is  apt  to 
be  interfered  with.  The  reception  and  exclusion  of 
church  members  among  them  is  not  the  act  of  one 

4* 


42  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

or  two  individuals,  but  of  the  whole  congregation, 
and  much  godly  care  is  exercised  in  both  these  re- 
spects. They  are  specially  desirous  of  not  receiv- 
ing mere  professors  to  the  Lord's  table,  feeling  that 
want  of  caution  here  must  necessarily  lead  to  cold- 
ness, weakness,  formality,  and  deadness  in  the  body. 
It  is  very  unusual  for  an  unconverted  person  to  be 
in  church  fellowship  with  them.  Cases  requiring  ex- 
communication do  occasionally  occur,  and  then  the 
utmost  solemnity  attends  the  step,  which  is  only 
taken  when  other  modes  of  discipline  have  failed  to 
restore  the  soul.  They  resort  even  to  this  final 
measure  with  a  view  to  ultimate  restoration,  believ- 
ing that  when  taken  in  prayer  and  faith,  it  will  gen- 
erally be  effectual  for  this  object,  as  in  the  case  re- 
corded at  Corinth  of  old,  and  so  it  commonly  proves. 
They  are  careful  to  train  up  their  children  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord;  but  knowing 
that  grace  is  by  no  means  hereditary,  never  receive 
them  into  church  membership,  unless  a  decided  work 
of  conversion  has  been  manifested.  When,  how- 
ever, this  is  the  case,  they  are  sometimes  received 
to  the  Lord's  table  at  an  early  age. 

As  regards  the  numbers  of  this  body,  the  writer 
has  no  means  of  information  at  hand.  Gatherings 
of  them  exist,  varying  from  a  very  small  number  to 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  43 

many  hundreds,  in  most  of  the  cities  and  large 
towns  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  also  in 
remote  country  districts  and  villages.  In  France, 
Switzerland,  Germany,  and  Sardinia  there  are  also 
many  congregations,  as  well  as  at  Cape  Colony,  Aus- 
tralia, New  Zealand,  and  in  Canada.  They  are  not 
active  in  proselyting  to  their  peculiar  views,  though 
very  desirous  of  spreading  the  gospel  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  evangelical  truth.  Their  opinions  being  of 
anything  but  a  popular  character,  and  their  practice 
having  in  it  nothing  to  attract  the  natural  mind,  it 
is  only  those  who  are  desirous  of  finding  and  walking 
in  the  most  scriptural  path,  that  would  be  likely  to 
take  their  place  among  the  Brethren;  it  is  a  very 
rare  case  for  a  person  who  has  once  found  his  way 
among  them,  ever  to  resign  the  position  he  has  as- 
sumed. 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  would  claim  for  these 
dear  people  of  God  the  brotherly  love  and  Christian 
regard  of  "all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in 
sincerity,"  by  whatever  name  they  may  call  them- 
selves. Dear  friends,  are  we  not  all  "  Christian 
brethren?"  are  we  not  all  one  body?  ought  we  to 
allow  our  different  views,  about  minor  matters,  to 
produce  any  feeling  of  coldness  toward  our  Father's 
children,  of  prejudice  against  any  who  are  with  us 


44  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ? 

members  of  the  body  of  Christ?  From  what  has 
been  stated,  it  can  hardly  be  questioned  that  these 
Brethren  are  "beloved  of  God,  called  to  be  saints;" 
by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them !  Men  do  not 
gather  grapes  of  thorns,  nor  figs  of  thistles  !  Ought 
we  not  then  to  include  in  the  embrace  of  Christian 
affection  all  who  are  "in  Christ  Jesus,"  endeavor- 
ing, whereunto  we  have  already  attained,  "  to  walk 
by  the  same  rule,  to  mind  the  same  things,"  and 
trusting  that  God  will  yet  reveal  to  us  the  truth  on 
those  points  on  which  we  are  not  like  minded?  The 
Brethren  have  warm  feelings  of  brotherly  love,  and 
a  strong  sense  of  the  family  bond  among  themselves, 
it  is  true;  but  they  extend  the  same  to  all  the  Lord's 
people,  and  while  deeming  some  of  them  in  error  on 
many  points,  love  them  none  the  less.  If  we  are 
the  children  of  one  God,  if  we  are  redeemed  by  one 
Saviour,  if  we  are  indwelt  by  one  Spirit,  if  we  are 
charged  wifeh  one  mission,  if  we  are  on  our  way  to 
one  heavenly  home,  and  hope  to  unite  by-and-by  in 
one  song  of  praise  to  Him  who  hath  loved  us  and 
washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  ought  we 
not  to  dwell  together  in  unity  now?  There  is  but 
one  body  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  we  are  called  in 
one  hope  of  our  calling,  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism!     What  a  pity  there  should  appear  to  be 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  45 

more  than  one  body  in  consequence  of  the  sectarian 
distinctions  and  divisions  which  the  father  of  dis- 
cord and  confusion  has  contrived  to  introduce  into 
the  church !  The  Lord  Jesus  prayed  for  his  disci- 
ples that  they  might  be  one,  and  if  we  made  that 
only  essential  to  fellowship  with  us  which  Christ 
makes  essential  to  fellowship  with  him,  (i.e  faith  in 
and  confession  of  his  name,)  we  should  come  nearer 
this  unity  than  we  do.  At  this  the  Brethren  have 
aimed;  they  may  have  partially  failed  in  the  at- 
tempt :  honor  them  at  least  for  the  endeavor.  They 
do  not  profess  to  have  attained  perfection ;  they  re- 
gard themselves  still  as  learners  in  the  school  of 
God ;  they  desire  not  to  stereotype  any  form  or  sys- 
tem, saying,  "this  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it;"  they 
feel  that  as  regards  all  these  things  they  know  only 
in  part,  and  are  willing  to  admit  light  from  all  quar- 
ters ;  and  to  modify  their  views  and  their  practice, 
where  either  can  be  shown  to  be  inconsistent  with 
Scripture.  To  that  infallible  test  they  seek  to 
bring  every  opinion  —  "search  the  Scriptures"  is 
their  motto,  and  happily  one  carried  out  into  prac- 
tice. Would  that  as  much  could  be  said  for  all 
Christians!  The  writer  cannot  better  conclude  than 
in  the  words  of  the  memorable  address  by  Mr. 
Robinson,  to  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  New  England, 


46  WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN? 

on  the  eve  of  their  immigration  to  the  New  World 
in  a.d.  1620:  "Brethren,"  said  he,  "we  are  now 
quickly  to  part  from  one  another,  and  whether  I 
may  ever  live  to  see  your  faces  on  earth  any  more, 
the  God  of  heaven  only  knows.  But  whether  the 
Lord  has  appointed  that  or  no,  I  charge  you  before 
God  and  his  blessed  angels,  that  you  follow  me  no 
further  than  you  have  seen  me  follow  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  If  God  reveal  anything  to  you  by  any  other 
instrument  of  his,  be  as  ready  to  receive  it  as  ever 
you  were  to  receive  any  truth  by  my  ministry ;  for 
I  am  verily  persuaded,  I  am  very  confident,  the  Lord 
has  more  truths  yet  to  break  forth  out  of  his  holy 
word.  For  my  part,  I  cannot  sufficiently  bewail  the 
condition  of  these  reformed  churches,  who  are  come 
to  a  period  in  religion,  and  will  go  at  present  no 
further  than  the  instruments  of  the  first  reforma- 
tion. The  Lutheran  cannot  be  drawn  to  go  beyond 
what  Luther  saw;  whatever  part  of  his  will  our 
good  God  has  imparted  and  revealed  unto  Calvin, 
they  will  rather  die  than  embrace  it.  And  the  Cal- 
vinists,  you  see,  stick  fast  where  they  were  left  by 
that  great  man  of  God,  who  yet  saw  not  all  things. 
This  is  a  misery  much  to  be  lamented,  for  though 
they  were  burning  and  shining  lights  in  their  times, 
yet  they  penetrated  not  into  the  whole  counsel  of 


WHO    ARE    THE    BRETHREN  ?  47 

God;  but  were  they  now  living,  would  be  as  willing 
to  embrace  further  light,  as  that  which  they  first 
received.  I  beseech  you  be  ready  to  receive  what- 
ever truth  shall  be  made  known  to  you  from  the 
written  word  of  God.  But  I  must  here  withal  ex- 
hort you  to  take  heed  what  you  receive  as  truth. 
Examine  it,  consider  it,  compare  it  with  other  Scrip- 
tures of  truth,  before  you  receive  it.  For  it  is  not 
possible  that  Christians  should  come  so  lately  out 
of  thick  anti- Christian  darkness,  and  that  perfection 
of  knowledge  should  break  forth  at  once.  *  Search 
the  Scriptures.'  'Prove  all  things;  hold  fast  that 
which  is  good.' " 

Postscript. — Since  the  above  pages  were  penned, 
the  writer  has  found  with  pleasure  that  there  are 
small  gatherings  of  Christians  holding  the  above 
views,  in  various  places  in  the  United  States.  One 
such  exists  in  Philadelphia,  meeting  on  the  Lord's 
day  in  a  public  room  in  Tenth  Street,  above  Arch. 
There  is,  in  addition  to  this,  a  meeting  in  Philadel- 
phia, presided  over  by  one  who  was  formerly  asso- 
ciated with  Brethren  in  England,  but  whose  connec- 
tion with  them  has  been  long  since  dissolved;  and 
who  holds  and  teaches  views  on  "the  non-eternitv 

m 

of  punishment"  which  Brethren  consider  decidedly 
heretical. 


